The continuing development of portable electrically powered devices such as tape recorders and playback machines, radio transmitters and receivers, and the like, create a continuing demand for the development of reliable, long service life cells or batteries for their operations. Recently developed electrochemical cell systems that will provide a long service life utilize highly reactive anode materials such as lithium, sodium and the like, in conjunction with high energy density non-aqueous liquid cathode materials and a suitable salt.
It has recently been disclosed in the literature that certain materials are capable of acting both as an electrolyte carrier, i.e., as solvent for the electrolyte salt, and as the active cathode for a nonaqueous electrochemical cell. U.S. application Ser. No. 439,521 by G. E. Blomgren et al filed Feb. 4, 1974, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 212,582 filed on Dec. 27, 1971, now abandoned, discloses a nonaqueous electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode collector and a cathode-electrolyte, said cathode-electrolyte comprising a solution of an ionically conductive solute dissolved in an active cathode depolarizer wherein said active cathode depolarizer comprises a liquid oxyhalide of an element of Group V or Group VI of the Periodic Table. The "Periodic Table" is the Periodic Table of Elements as set forth on the inside back cover of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 48th Edition, The Chemical Rubber Co., Cleveland, Ohio, 1967-1968. For example, such nonaqueous cathode materials would include sulfuryl chloride, thionyl chloride, phosphorus oxychloride, thionyl bromide, chromyl chloride, vanadyl tribromide and selenium oxychloride.
Another class of liquid cathode materials would be the halides of an element of Group IV to Group VI of the Periodic Table. For example such nonaqueous cathode material would include sulfur monochloride, sulfur monobromide, selenium tetrafluoride, selenium monobromide, thiophosphoryl chloride, thiophosphoryl bromide, vanadium pentafluoride, lead tetrachloride, titanium tetrachloride, disulfur decafluoride, tin bromide trichloride, tin dibromide dichloride and tin tribomide chloride.
It has been found that when employing high energy density liquid cathode materials in nonaqueous cell systems, the cells exhibit higher voltages than cells employing conventional aqueous systems which results in fewer cell units being required to operate a particular battery-powdered device. In addition, many of the oxyhalide and halide nonaqueous cells display relatively flat discharge voltage-versus-time curves. Thus these cells can be employed to produce batteries that will provide a working voltage closer to a designated cutoff voltage than is practicable with some conventional aqueous systems which generally do not exhibit flat discharge voltage-versus-time curves.
However, one possible disadvantage to the use of oxyhalide and halide liquid cathode nonaqueous cells is that if the seal of the cell is not sufficiently secured then it may be possible that during storage or use, some of the oxyhalide, halide or their reaction products may escape from the cell. This escape of liquids and/or gases could cause damage to the device employing the cell or to the surface of a compartment or shelf where the cell is stored.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a battery comprising two or more oxyhalide, halide, and/or liquid sulfur dioxide nonaqueous cells encased within a container along with a resilient material impregnated with a chemical that will react with and neutralize any of the oxyhalide, halide, liquid sulfur dioxide and/or their reaction products that escape from any of the cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery comprising a plurality of oxyhalide halide and/or liquid sulfur dioxide nonaqeuous cells and having means for neutralizing any material that escapes from the cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery comprising a plurality of oxyhalide, halide, liquid sulfur dioxide nonaqueous cells disposed within a container along with a resilient material that is impregnated with a chemical that will react with and neutralize any material that may escape from any of the cells.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery that has a high energy density output and that will be free of any external leakage of materials.
The foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent from the description hereinafter and the accompanying drawings.